E

ing, my throat closing up tight with fear.

sn't for real. He must be drunk-h

" I whispered. "You're just tr

is was all a bad dream. Maybe I fainted fro

nd slapped my cheek-lig

rom this. It's just a nightmare. The Moon Goddes

le still stood there. That

begging for a sign-any

tepping closer with tears blurring everything. "Say it

it for a second. Pat my head and say, "Lena, you d

inst

and smashed it agai

or as pain exploded in my skull. It burne

t it trickling down my forehead, past

pressing my hand to the wound, bu

hrough my watery eye

s arms, rolling his eyes

aby?" he said, his voice ice

d at him

trong like us, a little bang like that would toughen you up. But no, you're wea

l, like selling old junk. "Sold you to the alpha of our

wanted to yell. To ru

r tear

irked

d, throwing my words back. "Well, slamming your he

ying to stop the blood. My eyes were still

aid flat. "They c

ed his old newspaper, and start

y, lips cracked. "I'm begging. Not

hink of them. Just once. How they'd fe

ook up. He

ateful someone took their useless omega kid who can't d

t twist

anted to scream. To disa

"You hurt me because the on

r, stared right at

e dead. And guess wh

killed them. So no, they can't

you were worth zero. But you fetc

my knees in

I'll work hard. Ten times harder. Pay you back dou

dn't

that in your sorry

door cre

ng tears with my ha

ond, hope

this. She won't let her

, please," I sobbed. "Please, don't let them take m

dn't a

-hard enough to make me hit the floor

e, slammed it down, opened it,

my pain. "Paid already. Debt gone, and this

worth?" I whisp

ought you were worthless like your dead

got w

roll around. Won't change a thing

Felt it daily. But why

reminding the bro

ve stoppe

it. Their minds w

rned

, I saw them waiti

crying h

I begged her, clutching her

oved m

aid cold. "Or th

no c

the door, te

arms rough and they

n as I was

guards fi

out looking at me. "You'll need it once you r

ng, they made the fear worse. Bu

it lasted forever.

e stopped, I

nside, saying nothi

ong halls for what

pped at a small d

bundle of clothes onto the bed. "Get dressed. Y

paused at the door. His

ed flatly. "The Alpha won't want

they

to breathe. Just a single bed, a small

up the

fingers shook as I unfolded it, staring for a long time before forcing

s red and swollen, a faint line of blood still dark along my temple. I turned

o open the door to le

know where

on't know

wled up m

th and stepped out

I could find the Alpha's

yell at me or punish me for being lost. My hands kept

handles and a dark wolf insignia in the center

ad to

y heart was beating so fast I thought I'd pass

something that made

who's been sneaking in